🎙 Martial Arts, Mount Whitney & Starting Over in Southern Oregon with Jesse Newell | Go Wildly PodcastEpisode 27 | Go Wildly PodcastWhat does it take to hear a place calling you — and finally answer?

In this episode of Go Wildly Podcast, we sit down with Jesse Newell — martial artist, coach, hot rod builder, and Southern Oregon transplant — for a grounded, honest conversation about starting over, finding silence, and what happens when the outdoors stops being something you want and becomes something you need.

Jesse grew up in Ventura, California, steps from the ocean, where fishing alongside his father gave him his first taste of solitude and patience. His grandmother was his earliest guide to the natural world. But as Ventura grew louder and faster — the lake he fished drained for development, the beaches overrun — home became unrecognizable.

Southern Oregon had been calling for years. Burned out and coming off the end of a long relationship, Jesse finally listened. In January 2024, he packed up and moved north. This conversation goes deep — from martial arts mentors and a solo push up and down Mount Whitney, to healing trauma through extreme and controlled environments, and why he believes healing is holistic and multifaceted.

Today Jesse is the owner and head coach of Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy, training people of all ages while building a community rooted in discipline, confidence, and respect.

In This Episode

• Growing up in Ventura — fishing with his dad and his grandmother as outdoor guide
• The shift from wanting to be outside to needing to be outside
• His journey through martial arts and the mentors who shaped him
• Building hot rods — craft, patience, and discipline

• Running Mount Whitney solo — pushing limits and finding stillness
• Healing trauma through extreme and controlled violence
• Why healing is holistic — body, mind, outdoors, community
• What Jesse is building at SOMA — and how he wants to change people

🥋 Go Wildly Listener Offer — Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy2-Week Free Trial, then sign up with a 6-month membership to support the show.southernoregonmartialarts.com

About Jesse NewellJesse Newell grew up steps from the ocean in Ventura, California, where fishing with his father and exploring with his grandmother rooted him in the natural world. After years of burnout and a city that had grown beyond recognition, he moved to Southern Oregon in January 2024 for a clean slate. A lifelong martial artist and former hot rod builder, Jesse has pushed his limits in wild places — including a solo ascent of Mount Whitney. Today he owns and coaches Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy, building community through self-defense, discipline, and respect.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernoregonmartialartsWebsite: https://southernoregonmartialarts.com/home

About Go WildlyGo Wildly is a storytelling podcast rooted in Southern Oregon — real people, real stories, wild places. New episodes every week.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gowildlypodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifygowildlypodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gowildlypodcastWebsite: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com

CreditsHosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly PodcastTheme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission

KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Jesse Newell, Southern Oregon Martial Arts Academy, martial arts Southern Oregon, self-defense Oregon, moving to Southern Oregon, burnout recovery, trauma healing, holistic healing, Mount Whitney solo, solitude and nature, silence and healing, anxiety and outdoors, hot rod builder, resilience, men and the outdoors, outdoor mental health, Rogue Valley podcast, place-based storytelling